1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fruit pitting. In one of its aspects, the invention relates to a fruit pitting apparatus having pitting needles with means to detect malfunction or breakage of the pitting needles. In another of its aspects the invention relates to a pitting needle for use in automatic fruit pitting apparatus.
2. State of the Prior Art
In the automated pitting of fruit products such as cherries the fruit is transferred on a drum or conveyor beneath or adjacent a series of reciprocating needle-like projections. These projections move alternatively into and out of the fruit pushing the pit outwardly as the needle moves through the fruit.
One such pitting machine for processing cherries, comprises a large diameter, elongated hollow drum-like member having a series of cherry-receiving recesses about it periphery. Each recess has an aperture in its bottom portion, smaller in diameter than the fruit held therein, but slightly larger than the size of the pit. A plurality of needles aligned with the recesses in the drum are mounted for reciprocating movement and alternately move in and out of the recess, passing through the smaller hole located at the bottom. The drum rotates past a fruit supply hopper causing individual cherries to position themselves in the individual recesses. The drum is moved in a timed relationship to the reciprocating movement of the individual needles. As the drum stops, the needles are moved toward the drum and fruit with the individual needles passing through the fruit pushing the pit out of the fruit, through the hold in the bottom of the drum where they may be carried away in any convenient fashion.
During pitting operations, if a foreign object such as a stone should become mixed with the fruit in the hopper, it will eventually be carried in the drum recess and come in contact with the pitting needles. Naturally, the needle will break, bend, or otherwise become damaged. Such damage is not readily apparent in high speed production machinery and may therefore go undetected for long periods of time. Obviously, all fruit passing through a pitting operation with that needle will remain unpitted or improperly pitted until such time as the machine is shut down for inspection. Consequently, it is desirable to provide a means for detecting such breakage and to provide a signal or to render the machine inoperative immediately upon the occurrence of such breakage so that the needle may be replaced.